Once Upon A Time
by Kim Pluedeman
Summary: InuYasha and Kagome are part of the upcoming school play Sleeping Beauty!  Funny, quirky, zany, and with a possible hint of romance?  Let's see if the show will go on!
1. Chapter 1: Storybook Distractions

**Chapter One: Storybook Distractions**

I know I shouldn't start another story, but I like multi-tasking... It makes life so much more vibrant! Enjoy kiddies!

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"Once upon a time, there was an enchanted kingdom where a fair king and queen ruled peacefully. They were saddened, however, because even though throughout several years of their prosperous and wonderful marriage and rule over the kingdom, they had not yet been blessed with a child. One day, on the seventeenth year of their gracious rule, the Queen announced that she was going to bear a child. The kingdom was overjoyed with the great news and began preparing celebrations for the coming child.

"When the day came and the child was born, many joyous cries rang out throughout the land. It was set for a grand feast and party to commence the following week, and as the time crept closer all the people of the land received invitations. Surely they would reply, and they busied themselves with preparing a gift for the new baby. Many were invited, from the eldest to the young children, from people far away and close in the city, and many faeries as well. One who was not invited, however, was the cruel Malefeasant, who lived in the castle high in the mountains. Not many came to visit her in her throne above the rest, and not many wanted to. She was a cruel, evil, vile faerie, and---"

"Wait, why is she evil? I think she sounds awesome!"

"This isn't your story, so don't be siding with one person!"

"Who says I can't like her? I'd want to be her, if only I was a woman…"

"Which, thankfully, you are not. I don't know how I'd be able to put up with your raging hormones if you were one…"

"Shut it!"

Inuyasha became flustered and scrunched his face tightly against Kagome's comments. The rest of the group were all staring at the two of them arguing trivially, all faces confused and bored.

"Ahem, excuse me you two! Do you want to take the tiff outside?" The director stood up from her seat and glared menacingly at the two of them. "We are trying to familiarize ourselves with the story of Sleeping Beauty, an age old tale of true love and the fight against evil!" With this she gazed off into the distance, a hopeful look in her widened eyes.

InuYasha whispered softly to Kagome, "She should play Malefeasant…"

A soft whooshing came out of nowhere and the director lady smacked the script directly down upon Inuyasha's head, causing him to cringe in minor pain.

"I _heard_ that," she said stiffly, "and I'll have you know that I played Rose in our high school's production of Sleeping Beauty. What a dream it was, but with you in it, it will turn into a complete nightmare."

"That's harsh, Mrs. Keayton," Inuyasha simpered innocently, sagging his lip to pouting quality. "I thought you liked me."

She flashed him a small smirk before turning her back on him and addressing the rest of the group.

"Alright, now that we're out of time thanks to _someone_," she emphasized while glaring back at InuYasha, "we'll just have to prepare ourselves on our own time. Tryouts for the play are on Friday in the Auditorium, and you will need to prepare a monologue lasting no more than three minutes. I will also ask you to read some lines from the play as a cold audition. Everyone who tries out will be eligible to help out, whether it be on the stage or behind it. I encourage all to come, and I wish the best of luck to everyone! Have a good rest of the day!"

There was a flurry of grabbing backpacks and piling papers, along with the sounds of scraping chairs against the tile floor and scuffling of sneaker shoes as the teens all filed out of the drama classroom. InuYasha followed quickly behind Kagome as she walked calmly out of the room, smirking in her wake.

"So," he said slyly, "you don't think I'd look good as a woman?"

She gave him a look that clearly said 'Are you kidding?'

"Well, you've already got the long hair and the girly eyes… You haven't got that far to go! Just grow some boobs for God's sake-"

He lunged at her side and started tickling her furiously, causing her to fall to her knees in laughter. She was wheezing for breath before he finally relented, feeling satisfied that his work was complete.

"You are… so… horrible…" she gasped, taking a breath between words and clutching a stitch in her side.

He leaned down and sat eye level with her, smirking devilishly. "I know."

InuYasha then extended his hand to her, offering a pull up. She grabbed it cautiously, and as she started to get up she pulled him down. Not expecting this, he stumbled and fell clumsily on the sidewalk, letting out a soft 'oomph' as his body hit the ground. Kagome laughed at her friend, sprawled out across the sidewalk, and started to run away as he got up, pure terror and revenge in his eyes.

"Get back here, you wench! That was uncalled for! Hey, are you even listening to me…"

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Please review and keep yourselves dedicated! I promise to keep writing at least once every one or two weeks, depending on my schedule. Toodles!

Kim


	2. Chapter 2: A Trip Down Memory Lane

**Chapter 2: A Trip Down Memory Lane**

I hope you all enjoy this; it's just a bit of background on InuYasha's life, and I think the next chapter will be a bit of this as well, but not quite as much. Don't get too bored with it! Hey, I just realized that this is my longest chapter I've ever written! Hooray!!! Okay, I'm done.

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Kagome stepped out of the blazing red Toyota Tundra that InuYasha had driven into her driveway. She waved cheerily at his sour face that was filled with his denial of defeat. She had jumped into his truck after practice and locked the doors, leaving him nearly helpless against her power to press the lock buttons quicker than he could unlock the driver door. Finally, after yelling incoherently at her, calling her nearly every name under the sun, and kicking the side of the truck (which did him absolutely no good since now his toe throbbed painfully), he slid down the side of the truck and officially gave up. Just then, he heard a click emerge from the door and he grabbed the handle to enter the cab, only to find Kagome smiling innocently at him. She batted her eyelashes and said with sweetness dripping from every word, "Can you puh-leaze give me a ride home, sweetie?"

He gave her a sarcastic look, yet ten minutes later Kagome entered her house. InuYasha let a sigh of exhaustion let slip from his lips as she disappeared behind the door. He was tired; maybe he'd go home and take a nap. If his brother Sesshomaru was home, he probably would either not acknowledge him or shoot snide remarks across the dinner table. InuYasha really hoped the former outcome would happen, because when Sesshomaru was in a horrible mood it usually put himself in a worse one. This led to yelling, that led to fighting, and then, once their energy was spent, they retired to their own rooms, refusing to speak again until the next night.

The silence in the cab of the truck was deafening, so InuYasha twiddled with the radio knob, finding his favorite rock station. As Breaking Benjamin's lyrics began to emerge from the tricked-out speakers he had installed earlier that year, he turned the volume up to blasting loud. He head-banged along with his favorite song by the group, "Breakdown" as the trees alongside the highway became a blur. The wind began to whistle through the cracked window and it played lightly with InuYasha's curiously long silver hair. He didn't know why he had it , or how he of all people came to have such weird hair, but it had helped his "popularity" drastically. InuYasha scoffed at the thought of popularity, knowing his life had always been the opposite. At first, in his youthful nature, he was ridiculed for it, but he had his mother to love his fear and sorrow away. His childhood until she left was wonderful bliss, filled with laughter. When she passed away, he was completely alone on the playground. That was a horrible year, as he recalled with disgust. "No one person should have to endure such physical pain," his mother used to always say to him after he would come home crying to her. Then she would melt his tears away with her radiant smile. "That's why I'm here for you, to help you through it!"

One of his teachers shared the same views, but in a different way of releasing the anger and fear. InuYasha was introduced to the martial arts the next year, where he learned to calm himself and defend his honor. This soon became his haven, his complete bliss, to come from a world of ridiculing to one of accepting. He learned quickly and began to build a shield to block out everyone else. He constructed walls around his heart to keep the bullying out, and for once in his life he was completely and utterly happy.

No one dared to give him trouble now, so he led a solitary life throughout the rest of elementary and part of middle school. It wasn't until eighth grade that he found his first true friend. Of course he had a group of friends that followed him around, but they more feared him than loved him. He had his share of pointless "loves" and gave out more heartbreaks than any other middle school child because he never let any girl into his rigid heart. One usual school day came when InuYasha and his "gang" sauntered down the hall, clearing a wide path amongst the other crowds, as usual. He caught something out of the corner of his eye and left to investigate, assuring his "friends" he was just going to the restroom. When he reached the adjacent hallway, now cleared of smaller seventh graders in their classes, he saw something that made his blood boil. There were two eighth grade thugs throwing a seventh's books and bag into the bathroom garbage. They also had her coat and one of them was digging through it, pulling out spare change and passes while the other was holding her back as she tried letting herself loose. He kept hitting her and calling her names and her tears fell heavily to the tile floor.

"Please leave my stuff alo-"

The eighth holding her hit her face, causing a bruise to bloom instantly.

"Shut up, wench! We'll give it back when we're done!"

InuYasha wasn't sure what happened next because his conscious mind blanked while his subconscious took over. He didn't remember stepping out from behind the wall, punching both eighth thugs in the face or pummeling them into the ground, or even when they ran away whimpering. He did, however, regain his conscious self when he heard the soft sobs escaping from the girl's lips as she laid on the cold tile floor. He came up to her frail body and crouched down to her level. As she drew her gaze up to him, he could see her bruise blooming spectacularly beneath one of her deep brown eyes and a thin line of blood trickling down her chin from her lower lip. Her eyes were wide with fear and horror, as if she thought he was one of the others. InuYasha reached his rough, calloused hand out to her and she flinched, but he grabbed her hand gently so as to help her up. She gasped and more tears leaked out as she cautiously eased up. When they were both standing up, she looked into his gorgeous golden eyes and gave him an enormous braces-filled grin. He smirked back at her, instantly melting under her warming smile.

"My name's Kagome. What's yours?" she asked softly.

"It's InuYasha. Y'know you should-"

Before he could finish his sentence, she had wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, like her life depended on it. He blushed lightly, but contained his embarrassment immediately as she whispered through shaky voice, "Thank you so much, InuYasha."

"You shouldn't let those thugs give you such trouble! Just kick 'em in the nuts or something!" InuYasha said as he and Kagome began walking down the hallway to her locker.

"What, and miss a chance for you to show off your kara-tay skills? No way! That was really cool! Where did you learn it? Can I watch your practices? Could you kill someone? What-"

"Whoa, I've never met someone with so many questions," InuYasha interjected, leaving Kagome speechless. "Do you ever NOT talk?"

"Oh, yeah, but I'm just so excited to have met someone new today! I love meeting a new face and getting to know them, it's like a holiday or something! Except it's not like Hannukah or Columbus Day, but bigger than that, like Christmas and Thanksgiving. I mean, I really don't have any friends right now, since I just moved here and no one knows me very well, but I never thought that people would be that mean…"

She never stopped talking, even though she reached her locker and started to pull books out of it. InuYasha just smiled as she kept going on and on about her old school, her classes, some of her old friends that she left behind that she misses, her favorite foods; pretty much anything she could come up with. He didn't mind; it was relaxing to listen to her.

As she closed her locker, she stopped her talking spree and looked at InuYasha quizzically. "Hey, where's your head?"

He looked at her and smiled, not his trademark devilish grin but a true, genuine smile, teeth and all. "You're welcome, Kagome."

She smiled widely and pulled him into another hug, saying to him, "Let's be friends, kay?"

He nodded into her shoulder and they walked away, finding a new relationship between themselves. After that day, many students could recall that they were inseparable, yet never considered dating. Whenever someone suggested it, they would either get a scoff from InuYasha or a huge denial from Kagome. They were just really great friends, that was all. Even straight through high school and all of their screaming matches that made them sound like husband and wife, they still forgave and forgot and resumed their unbreakable relationship. It was the perfect friendship.

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Please review; it keeps me wanting to write the story if I know that people want to read it! Thanks to all those who have decided to keep with the story until the end; I promise that we'll start with the play practices soon! Toodles!

Kim


	3. Chapter 3:  Caller ID

**Chapter 3: Caller ID**

Hey everyone! Sorry again for the wait; college sucks like that. Here's the third installment of the hopefully amazing fanfic!!!!

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InuYasha's trip down Memory Lane came to an end as he stopped in the dusty driveway to his house. Why he was even there was surprising him even after he pulled the truck into park. He turned the key into the off position and let his truck rev down before jumping out of the driver side door. He and his brother kept the place pretty well, InuYasha thought. It was very home-like, with its whitewash shutters and squeaky screen door, the wrap-around porch complete with porch swing that swayed with the wind, and miscellaneous flower pots that unfortunately held no life within them. He passed this all by and entered the house to find his brother Sesshomaru cooking over the stove top, the steam's wisps curling up into the air. 

"Hey. What're you making?" InuYasha inquired, sniffing into the flavorful air. Sesshomaru gave him an emotionless glance before murmuring something about cashew chicken.

"Ah. Well, I'll be upstairs doing homework if you need me," InuYasha said before he scurried out of the kitchen, leaving Sesshomaru to his cooking once again. He reached the stairs and took them three at a time, bounding quickly to the top. As he reached his room, his cell phone went off inside his pocket, playing one of the chiming rings that came with the phone. He grabbed it, knowing who it was before even answering.

"Hey Kagome, what's up?"

He heard a scoffing noise on the other side of the phone. "How do you know it's always me?!?!?"

"Uhm… two words: caller ID."

There was silence on the other side of the conversation as InuYasha tried to contain his laughter. She coughed and continued as if nothing had happened.

"So… have you started practicing your part? Wanna work on it together tonight?"

"Don't you have other homework to do?"

"Don't you want to get into this play?"

"Don't you have anything better to do than play these games on the phone with me?"

She scoffed again, this time louder and more annoyingly. "I'm trying to help you out here! Anyways, I wanna get out of the house. Please?"

Even though he couldn't see her, he could still imagine her killer pouting that brought grown men to their knees weeping; he had succumbed to it numerous times, and this was going to be the breaking point, the one time that he was stronger than her… Those chocolate brown eyes, swimming with tears, floated around in his mind…

"Alright, come on over. We'll practice a bit," he said with a grudging tone evident in his voice.

"Great! I'm coming over right now! Be there in two minutes!"

"Hey! I didn't give you permission before! How'd you know?"

"My pouting's done a number on you, hasn't it? You don't even have to see me for it to work…"

"Shut up! Just get your ass here pronto! And you'd better be ready to work your ass on these play tryouts, or I'll never talk to you again… You'll have put me through this for nothing-"

He was talking to a dial tone. _That little wench!_ he thought to himself as he snapped his phone closed. They had better make it into this play, or she was going to be dead.

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Please review! Keep being faithful readers and this will get finished... I will also finish my other fanfics, Fair Maiden and As It Was. It'll take time... I'm doing way too much, but it's so worth it! Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

Kim


	4. Chapter 4: This is Soooo Cheesy

**Chapter 4: This is Sooooo Cheesy...**

Hey everyone! Sorry for such a long wait, but I've been busy with finals and college and such. But here is the fourth chappy... hope you all enjoy and review! Happy Christmas!!!!

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"Oh, but I've met him before! Once upon a dream…"

"You are so much more… beautiful than… in a dream… Wow, this is sooooo cheesy…"

"Shut up and just keep reading!"

"I am. Who's the one not reading lines now?"

Kagome sighed loudly then brought her script down on top of InuYasha's head.

"Ow! What'cha do that for? Damn it woman!"

"Pay attention! And stop complaining!" She thwacked his head again and he howled in stinging pain. "The role of Prince Phillip is kind, charming, and brave, so start acting your complete opposite."

"Shut it wench. I'm brave at least… And why am I trying out for this play in the first place if all I'm getting out of this is a freakin' beating?"

InuYasha sat rubbing his head on the bed as Kagome turned to him and gave him one of the most evil looks she could muster. He glanced up at her and his scowl was replaced momentarily by fear. "Really, I didn't think you'd actually kill for the stage."

"You don't understand! I've dreamed of being the lead role in one of these plays since I was in Kindergarten and our class went to go see Beauty and the Beast…" Kagome drifted off into Memory land and her eyes glazed over with the pictures of those most fantastic two hours of her life. "She was gorgeous, her voice so silky and melodious, and the Beast was kind and gentle… I couldn't take my eyes off of them!"

"I bet you could," InuYasha scoffed.

Kagome sighed, drifting back into reality, as she took the script in her one hand and waved it menacingly in front of InuYasha's eyes. He watched it cautiously, hoping it wouldn't come and bat him in the head again. She didn't, to his gratitude, but instead flipped open to the scene they had been rehearsing for the last hour and a half. _Honestly, this is ridiculous!_ she thought. _We should have this down by now, but HE'S got to be such a jackass… _

"Let's get this scene down and then I'll be out of your hair for the rest of the night," Kagome sighed out. She tossed the script over to InuYasha for him to read then stepped into position to start. He looked at her, glanced down at the script, then set it down on the table and let his hand rest upon it.

"I know how much this means to you, Kagome. I'm just getting sick of running these lines over and over again!" He looked up at her with weary eyes. "Can't we take a short break and just relax?"

Kagome knew that he could keep going. She wanted to be sure that he could recite the lines in his sleep and that they would be perfect for tomorrow. She also realized, no matter how passionate she was about her acting career, that she was getting kind of tired of rehearsing as well. She glanced out the window at the sun resting on the horizon lazily, then smiled softly as she knew the perfect way to relax.

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"It's so gorgeous out here," Kagome commented. They sprawled across the rooftop watching the sun sink below the line of the earth and the grass waver with the slight breeze. InuYasha couldn't agree more; this was his favorite place to watch the sun go down because it was so beautiful. He could forget everything about the day and just let himself go here. He let out a sigh and placed his hands behind his head as he laid back on the roof's surface.

"This definitely beats reading some boring old script," he teased. Kagome scoffed at him and hit his shoulder playfully.

"Hey, watch who you're saying that in front of! I might just be hurt for the rest of my life." Kagome threw her lip out in a pout and widened her eyes in innocence towards InuYasha. He just yawned at her, clearly accustomed to her attempts in pity.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…"

Kagome smiled and followed InuYasha's lead by putting her arms behind her head and laying back on the rooftop. They gazed up at the puffs of clouds scattered across the darkening sky. Hues of pink, orange, and red spread across the horizon and seeped through to a dusky shade of blue on the other half of the sky as the clouds floated lazily across. InuYasha sighed again, knowing that these moments never lasted.

"We should probably get back to practicing. Remember your promise?"

InuYasha waited for her response, which never came.

"Hey, you listening to--"

He turned to her and found she had fallen into a light sleep. Her mouth was parted slightly as her warm breath escaped from between them. InuYasha smiled down at her. _Typical Kagome, falling asleep on the roof._

The sun had sunk completely beneath the earth's edge and the bright colors of the sky were beginning to turn into shades of grey and blue. InuYasha laid back and took it all in again. He kept glancing over at Kagome as she drifted through her dreams, and her presence seemed to make him feel a fluttering in his stomach. She was his best friend and had been since forever, but the way she looked was so adorable. _I should probably wake her up,_ InuYasha thought to himself as he pushed himself up on his elbows in the near darkness.

What he ended up doing instead was carrying her down off the roof and into his slightly messy room. What should have been wooden paneling on the walls there was instead posters plastered all over. They varied from screaming metal bands to sleek shots of expensive cars, but what surprised most who entered his room was the spot of wall right above his queen-sized bed. It was covered with paintings and drawings of random things, including one or two abstract frames, a drawing of a park scene, a watercolor portraying a sleeping young boy with silver hair, and several black-and-white photos. This spot seemed so out-of-place compared to the other posters, but InuYasha treasured these more than anything else. These were all done by Kagome, and with her permission on which pictures he could display he hung them up for all to see. He originally wanted a self-portrait she had sketched out one day, but she objected completely because apparently it didn't look anything like her; the nose was too big and she looked fat. Instead, he had it framed and kept it hidden in his nightstand so she couldn't confiscate it and burn it.

He stepped down into the room with Kagome in his arms and walked cautiously over to his bed. It was unmade from the morning with his blood-red satin sheets and comforter, but he didn't care much. Just as long as his room remained manageable, he was okay with it. As he set Kagome down on the bed, she sank softly into the down comforter. It hugged her softly, and InuYasha pulled the other half of it over her to keep her warm and comfortable. He watched her sleep for a bit, unable to think of anything except that she looked so peaceful and… cute. Why did he keep thinking that? What changed between them that made him want to pull her tightly into his arms and never let go? He had such trouble setting her down on the bed because he just wanted to carry her like that forever. He started to notice in more detail how her hair smelled tropical, how her face was so fair and smooth, how her black hair was so silky smooth to the touch, how her body curved…

_Oh, God, stop thinking that way!_ He shook his head to expel the thoughts. _She's your best friend!_

_Ah,_ another voice in his head started saying, _That could change if you wanted it to…_

He turned away from the starting battle in his head and walked out of the room. He needed to clear his head for a while, and he knew just the thing to occupy him. Besides, he thought as he picked the script back up from in the extra bedroom they were practicing in before, Kagome would be ecstatic to see him memorizing his lines…

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Once again, Happy Christmas! Don't forget to review please, and thanks for being so devoted!

Kim


	5. Chapter 5: On With the Show!

**Chapter 5: On With the Show!**

Thanks for being patient with me! The holiday season was a kicker, what with Christmas, New Years, and just plain hanging out with friends! I also had jaw surgery about a week and a half ago, so I blame that as well. But here it is, the fifth installment of my story, and it's looking good! Keep reading faithfully and I'll keep writing dilligently... Enjoy!

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It was the long-awaited day of auditions, and Kagome was more nervous than ever. She couldn't really explain why, but perhaps it was just because her dream role was up for grabs in this one chance of a lifetime…

_Yeah, that's why,_ she thought to herself as the butterflies began to flutter once again in her stomach. She barely ate anything for lunch and sat watching the clocks during every single one of her classes with an anxious jitter escaping her legs, causing them to bounce up and down constantly. The minutes seemed to tick slower and slower with each passing class, time crawling now. She was concerned with InuYasha and his… calmness. He wasn't freaking out or anything; rather, he was looking just as bored as he always did. Kagome would have liked someone to share her worry with, which annoyed her even more and made her more nervous. If he didn't know his lines and didn't care to even try, she was screwed over.

InuYasha didn't push Kagome or even tease her that much today. He found more amusement in watching her fret for the day to end. Sure, he was mildly nervous, but he knew his lines and was confident Kagome would be amazing on the stage. She didn't know he had secretly memorized the scene last night, since she woke up the next morning. At first she was shocked to be in his bed, then she started accusing him of being perverted, then she gasped and raced to call her mom. InuYasha had grabbed her wrist and hastily told her he had already called Mrs. Higurashi and explained it all to her. She, in turn, decided not to flay Kagome within inches of her life when she returned home.

As they entered their last class, since InuYasha and Kagome had almost the same schedules for the last six years, Kagome was beyond consoling. She wouldn't listen to anyone, could barely concentrate on Professor Kaede's lesson, and she kept drumming her fingers on the wooden desk surface and swinging her foot up and down. Her absence of concentration was apparent when Professor Kaede asked her a question and she didn't move.

"Ms. Higurashi!"

Kagome jumped almost a foot, whacking her knees on the bottom of the desk and almost falling out of her seat. Her kneecaps started throbbing horribly as she turned her attention towards the now fuming teacher.

"Ye-yes, Professor Kaede?"

"I had asked you if you could elaborate more on the Feudal Era from the assigned reading last night, but you seem to think it more important to daydream in my class."

Kagome winced under her scorn. She had always been on good terms with Professor Kaede and most of the other teachers. However, her excuse seemed to have to wait, for the bell rang shrilly over the speakers, causing Kagome to jump once again and hit her already hurting knees to the desk. She rushed to pile her books in her bag and rushed out of the doorway before anyone else, intent on being first to show up at the theater.

"Hey, Kagome, wait up! You on a sugar rush or something?"

Kagome stopped, impatience seeping from her like an aura, as InuYasha casually sauntered up to her side.

"Let's drop our bags off first, unless you wanna carry that lug round with you all over the place," InuYasha said.

Kagome fidgeted, knowing her time was running out to get to the stage first. "Fine, we'll drop them off first, but straight to the theater then!"

"Woah, chill Kagome," InuYasha calmly said, "the stage isn't going to run off on you. We've got till three-thirty for auditions to start."

She took several deep breaths, hoping this could hopefully calm her already shot nerves. She looked at InuYasha, posing the question he had heard probably a thousand times already. Here came one thousand and one…

"Are you sure you have your lines--"

"For the LAST and FINAL time, don't worry about me!" InuYasha nearly yelled at her. "I'll do fine; it's YOU that you should focus on! Try and not freak out so much… you'll make yourself sick."

He threw his bag into his locker and grabbed hers to toss on top of his, since her locker was in the completely opposite direction of most of their classes and they had grown accustomed to just sharing InuYasha's. He threw his arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the theater while still throwing words of confidence towards her the entire way. Their school wasn't a usual "high school" design; on the contrary, its architecture created a highly unique perspective for new coming students. The walls connected to high ceilings that held panes of thick glass to let natural sunlight through, while they also sloped down from the windows in long curves, almost as if one was draping fabric across the ceiling to the wall. The lockers weren't lined up all in a row, but were instead placed within hallways adjacent. There was enough space for personal room on all the students' parts when it came to lockers. This left the main walkways open for a more inviting atmosphere and clearer traffic flow. Classrooms were left for the teachers' personal design preference, so the science department had decided on large aquariums separating the classrooms, each with several different species of sea life that helped in class discussions wonderfully, the English department had settled for their own literature library that the teachers could place their favorite books in for students' use that was complete with plushy armchairs and couches, and the history department finally decided on investing on their own miniature museum relating to several classes in popular demand. These extra additions brought the school much fame and admiration, so it was an extremely high-demanded private school by parents and students alike. The education was top notch, the teachers were very one-on-one, and the resulting graduating classes kept interest in the school very high.

None of these things may have mattered to InuYasha, since he was forced to come here because his family had his name and tuition signed to this school's foundation since birth, but it mattered very much to Kagome. She strived more than can be imagined to even be considered for acceptance to this school, and once she was invited to attend it was the monetary matter which hit her family next. They managed to pass along living well enough in the past, but when the best preparatory school wants a bright student to walk their halls, they want a large sum to allow them to pass through the front doors, let alone attend classes. They struggled to bring up enough for her to go, and this included scholarships given by the school, both Kagome and her mother working forty plus hours each week, and her grandfather selling all his prized sacred possessions. It was paid off with the help of student loans in the end, and Kagome had to thank heaven itself for the invention of them, but knew she'd be hating it when payment was due.

The tuition she paid was well worth it, and as she entered the theater it was apparent why. This was her sanctuary with its rows upon rows of cushioned seats, sweeping staircases up into the beautifully decorated balcony area, the hidden light and sound booth up within the catwalk that nearly cradled the ceiling, the wide range of open air above the seats, and the dimly lit stage. This was perhaps the most exhilarating place Kagome had ever stepped into, and the stage was the centerpiece of it all. The worn wooden panels that lined the stage showed much use to them. When she stood upon this stage, it was her alone that graced it. This was her calling, her sanctuary, hers.

Right now, the stage was cleared of everyone except for Mrs. Keayton and her barely visible co-director Mr. Myoga. "Barely visible" was definitely an understatement. He was shorter than all the students by about a foot or more and could dart around the school without being detected, though many blamed that feat on a rumor of secret passages the teachers only knew about. His head was polished bald but complimented with a toothbrush mustache that tickled his nose. He seemed very bug-eyed when he placed his gigantic magnifying glasses on the bridge of his nose, but was the only other teacher to take the job.

"Ah-hem! Gather round students!" Mrs. Keayton chirped over the babbling crowds. Kagome instantly grabbed a front row seat and focused intently on every one of his words.

"Thank you for coming out to the auditions for our spring play," she started, her voice booming over the entire auditorium. "We will need all the help we can get for this production, whether it be on stage or back. If you do not receive a part, do not feel afraid to volunteer your time with scenery, stage crew, costumes, lights, anything! We would really appreciate it."

"And now, without further ado, you should all have your scenes rehearsed and ready to go! As they say in show business, 'On with the show!'"

* * *

Aaaaahhh!!! Auditions are starting!!! I was going to try and throw a plug in the story for my school, but I'll just do it here. My original script included a bit about the school's competition one-act play. Some of you may have heard of this if you're into Drama, but I have to bring to light my amazing high school's performance this year in the one-act! Northland Pines High School in Eagle River, WI made their way to the State competition and returned home with not one, not two, but THREE AWARDS!!!! They recieved the highest play award entitled the Critic's Choice, which only a small handful of schools receive, the Ensemble Award for so many amazing actors working together to create such a great play, and a Director's Award for the stunning duo Mr. David Strong and Mr. Michael Long! They were my coach when I was in high school, but we never got such an amazing amount of loving from the state level. So, I want to congragulate all of my comrades for such a stupendous outrageous performance of the drama 'Asylum'. They really kicked ass!

Well, besides that plug, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I also hope that you keep reading, reviewing, and loving!

Kimberly M. Pluedeman


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